Presence Of Something Great, Awe-Inspiring And Wondrous? Radiolab Podcast

[Guest MadameX]

Ever feel the unity of the cosmos? Deeply connected to everyone around you? 

 

Listen to this podcast from Radiolab, especially the last 22 minutes or so. Former Evangelical describes his spiritual experience, which is surprisingly like that of someone on psilocybin. 

 

Is that how you felt when you had your born-again moment?

 

I'd like to know - I never had a so-called born again experience, but I have definitely had very spiritual ones, like described in the story.

 

http://www.radiolab.org/2012/dec/17/

[Ouroboros]

Ever feel the unity of the cosmos? Deeply connected to everyone around you? 

Yes. Several times. Mostly in the past though, but I think it's because I've been so busy the last couple of years and never given a chance to just relax and take in.

 

There are several members on this website who most likely can explain those experiences a lot more than I. I leave the floor open to them.

[Joshpantera]

I checked out the last 20 minutes. It sounds like what happens is that you basically see reality for what it actually is and go beyond the illusory world of perception. By that I mean in all sober mindedness we can quite easily deduce that your perceptions of reality as a collection of discrete isolated particles floating in a space is illusory. The particles aren't something other than space, they are some aspect of space. www.quantummatter.com

 

We don't perceive physical reality in terms of 'the thing in itself' that we are really perceiving as we look around at the world:

http://www.ex-christian.net/topic/54536-the-primacy-of-consciousness/

 

But in the altered state of consciousness described in the link people seem to see past the illusion to the inner core of it all, the unity where one underlying thing is everything. That one thing which is everything is likely consciousness, in and of itself as the argument goes in the above link. This altered state seems to open up awareness to the pantheistic implicated state of reality.

 

And oddly enough, from what they mentioned at the tail end of the program, it sticks with people thereafter. Sort of like when Neo realized that he was in the Matrix. From that point forward he then understood the illusory aspect of the perceived reality from the perspective of being in the program and seeing the program as a mask over the underlying physical reality behind it all.

 

To be honest, sounds like it would do everyone some good to go through this altered state of awareness at least once in a controlled setting. The world would probably begin to shift into a much different place.

[Ravenstar]

^^^this^^^

 

I've been on both sides... both substance induced and not. It is very different though somewhat related. The non-substance experience is better.

 

Never had it with xtianity though...

[Antlerman]

I haven't listened to the podcast as asking a hour or a half hour of my time to listen is not always easy. But to ask specifically if I had a "born again experience" that offered a connection to everyone (and everything) around me, oh hell yeah. I did not call it a 'born again experience' at the time as it occurred prior to becoming a Christian - a matter of a year and half before I'll add. My entire life changed from that point forth to today, all the way into and out of Christianity to where I am now in having been seeking to 'reunite' with that.

 

I'll need to try to listen to this later as I think it may be worth listening to those last 22 minutes. So how would your describe you spiritual experiences in this context?

[Guest MadameX]

Oh definitely, some highly emotional experiences which could be described as expansive. Usually wondering at nature, and experiencing awe at beauty. Often, at the beauty and poignancy of being alive and being human, and sharing life's journey with my fellow humans.

 

Music can of course induce this, as can rhythmic motion like dancing or running or swimming. As can meditation, or call it prayer, if you like. 

Other ways to achieve altered states.

 

And I do think they all contribute to a kind of connectedness, tat feeling of unity. 

 

Perhaps it is just a way of feeling the life force? Seeing the blue spark of electricity that is our thoughts?

[Antlerman]

Oh definitely, some highly emotional experiences which could be described as expansive. Usually wondering at nature, and experiencing awe at beauty. Often, at the beauty and poignancy of being alive and being human, and sharing life's journey with my fellow humans.

 

Music can of course induce this, as can rhythmic motion like dancing or running or swimming. As can meditation, or call it prayer, if you like. 

Other ways to achieve altered states.

 

And I do think they all contribute to a kind of connectedness, tat feeling of unity. 

 

Perhaps it is just a way of feeling the life force? Seeing the blue spark of electricity that is our thoughts?

Fascinating you mention the color blue. Yes, I practice about an hour of meditation every morning, in addition to music, reading, and the rest you describe. That connection is more like being plugged into all that is, and it is experienced not only in all that is around you, but from you, to you, and to all things. It's hard to describe, but we all experience that to one degree or another.

[Guest MadameX]

 

Oh definitely, some highly emotional experiences which could be described as expansive. Usually wondering at nature, and experiencing awe at beauty. Often, at the beauty and poignancy of being alive and being human, and sharing life's journey with my fellow humans.

 

Music can of course induce this, as can rhythmic motion like dancing or running or swimming. As can meditation, or call it prayer, if you like. 

Other ways to achieve altered states.

 

And I do think they all contribute to a kind of connectedness, tat feeling of unity. 

 

Perhaps it is just a way of feeling the life force? Seeing the blue spark of electricity that is our thoughts?

Fascinating you mention the color blue. Yes, I practice about an hour of meditation every morning, in addition to music, reading, and the rest you describe. That connection is more like being plugged into all that is, and it is experienced not only in all that is around you, but from you, to you, and to all things. It's hard to describe, but we all experience that to one degree or another.

 

 

How interesting, Antlerman. Oh it's blue, for sure. Cannot really explain it beyond that but as I am an artist I may be particularly tuned into that kind of thing.

 

These altered states (reachable via many different routes including prayer, and called many things: religious ecstasy, mysticism, communion with the divine) are apparently related to activity in the temporal lobes of the brain which helps us to locate ourselves in space, among other things. Guess as much as I am a mystic I am also a materialist.

 

:-)

[Antlerman]

These altered states (reachable via many different routes including prayer, and called many things: religious ecstasy, mysticism, communion with the divine) are apparently related to activity in the temporal lobes of the brain which helps us to locate ourselves in space, among other things. Guess as much as I am a mystic I am also a materialist.

 

:-)

 

I'm not sure the word materialist would be right as that tends to dismiss mystical experience as "just the brain", which means it is not "real". I too am perfectly happy understanding what is going on in the brain, while at the same time fully embracing the insight that follows such profound experience. They are life altering, life transforming. I think the term that better fits us is that we embrace reason and rationality, as well as mystical or transrational insight; that interior landscape that reason cannot penetrate.

 

I think you will enjoy this as much as me if you have over an hour of time to listen to this at your convenience. (BTW, blue light is common in mystical experience).

 

[Guest MadameX]

Oh, what happens in the brain is quite real to the person experiencing it. However those nde's or spirit visitations, which come the person through the same channels as anything else in the world may not correspond to reality.

 

And I wonder if "the blue light" is the neurons in our brains which interpret visual signals of blue from the eyes being activated during the experience of meditation.

 

Anyway that was fascinating. Several things he said suggest spirituality, even the belief in god (whatever god may mean to any individual) is part of the psychological immune system. Useful and healthy. We are apparently wired for it.

 

I am currently thinking a lot about our tendency to find or to create external agency. It seems useful to externalize both credit and blame for things within us. It helps to have a goal that is external to us and larger than our individual selves to motivate us. Winning for the team; fighting for our country; being guided by something wiser and more benevolent and inspiring than ourself.

 

Thank you so much for this. I had read Todd Murphy before and liked what he said. Think I will listen to some of his other talks while I paint today.

 

:-)